Spring 2018

In this Issue

Heart disease and brain health go hand in hand. In fact, many forms of heart disease are associated with cognitive impairment, cognitive decline or dementia. The good news? The seven simple factors for heart health support your brain health, too.

While many of the risk factors of cardiovascular disease are modifiable, scientists are beginning to work with individuals, like you, to look closer at other factors, such as genetics, diet, daily routines, and the environment.

Extensive research has shown that too much sodium can cause high blood pressure, a primary cause of heart disease and stroke, the two leading causes of death in the world. Interestingly, the salt shaker is not the culprit. Learn about the science of dietary sodium.

The formula for weight loss is neither secret nor mysterious — more calories burned than consumed. But if losing weight were as simple as that, then two-thirds of Americans wouldn’t be overweight or obese.

Robert Blodgett is clear: He was tricked into staying alive. If he’d had his way, he’d be dead from a heart attack. It likely would have been massive as three of his coronary arteries were 99 percent blocked and two others weren’t much better.

For months I had been experiencing occasional discomfort in my chest when eating. I attributed it to eating too quickly when I was hungry. My husband thought I might have a hernia. It didn’t occur to me to mention it to my doctor, even though I saw one regularly.

Eating nearly one-third a cup of almonds a day — either alone or combined with almost one-quarter cup of dark chocolate and 2 1/3 tablespoons of cocoa a day — may reduce a risk factor for coronary heart disease, according to a recent study.

Cooking at home can be a daunting task, but a rewarding one for your diet and lifestyle (and your wallet). Making small changes in your diet is important to your heart health. Here are simple, healthy and affordable recipes and cooking tips.